MAPPED: Why and Where People Say Coke Vs. Soda Vs. Pop
Most Americans are familiar with the fizzy sound that bubbles off a carbonated beverage. But a low-stakes, highly opinionated argument erupts now and again over what to call this fizzy drink. Is it a soda, pop, or coke? The truth is there are no apparent differences between the names (except for coke, but we’ll get to that). What you have is a battle between regional dialects that can’t necessarily be won — the language in your area probably won’t be changing anytime soon. Cartographer Alan McConchie has been surveying visitors on his website, popvssoda.com, for more than 20 years, asking visitors simple questions: What word do they use when referring to a fountain drink, and what city and state is their hometown in? His website, which has collected over 400,000 responses, populates a coke vs. pop vs. soda map showing the differences in language across the United States.